


put that thing back where it came from or so help me

by AmbientMagic



Category: The Posterchildren - Kitty Burroughs
Genre: Alternate Universe - Power Swap, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-18 06:56:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5902864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmbientMagic/pseuds/AmbientMagic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>June hates purple-bands (no offense, Jack). Or, the one where the SM7 gets Rise of the Silver Surfer'd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	put that thing back where it came from or so help me

**Author's Note:**

> “The wacky (or not-so-implausible) AU of your choice!” What did I choose? A powerswap AU, because that sounds amazing.
> 
> Your Secret Santa is taking a little longer than expected to finish up your present, so here’s something to tide you over in the meantime!

They first noticed when Maks stopped sparkling at their post-mission bonfire.  With Roz around he didn’t glow the way he normally did, but since he was 15 feet up in a tree, he should have been out of her range and lit up like the Fourth of July.  Ernest was the first to notice, and he quickly leaned over from his pole pie to whisper in June’s ear.  

June looked up too, and frowned.  “Maks?  You doing okay?”

“Of course I am! I’m fine! Why wouldn’t I be, we-did-super-well-on ourmissionandit’sareallygood--”

“Maks?  Why are you talking so fast?  Come down here!”  June looked really worried by now, and so did Mal.  

“He’s talking as fast as you usually do,” he muttered to Zip.  He raised his voice to address June.  “Do you think that the purple-band we took down earlier today might have something to do with whatever’s wrong with Maks?”

“Ow, ow, ow!”  

“What is it?”  

Jack had met Maks at the base of the tree, and was examining his hands.  “Looks like when Maks came outta the tree, he was moving too fast.  Way too fast.  He skinned his hands up pretty bad,” he informed Roz.  

“Zipporah, will you please do a sprint for me?  To the tree and back, perhaps.”

“Sure thing, boss.”  Zip hopped up and took off for the tree.  After about three steps she stopped, perplexed.  “Ummm, Mal?”

“Just as I thought.  Maks has your speed.  The purple-band’s posterpower isn’t just to borrow the powers of other posters.  It seems she could transfer them as well.  We didn’t notice because Roz was here to dampen the more obvious expression of our posterpowers,” Mal lectured.

June narrowed her eyes.  After concentrating for a few seconds, she sighed and glared at her outstretched hands.  “Well, I don’t have any fire in me.  I’m not sure if it’s because of Roz or because she took mine too.  Roz?  Do you mind backing up a little?”

“No problem.”  Rosario started jogging, past the tree where Maks and Jack sat, until everyone at the fire was out of range.  Nothing happened, but suddenly she felt a lot more…  _ energized.   _ Her messed up knee wasn’t even aching.  Eyes narrowed, she grabbed a knife from her belt, prayed she wasn’t wrong about this, and slashed it across the back of her arm.  

It healed over in seconds.  “Mal, don’t do anything weird!” she shouted.  “But I’m you now!  Someone else must be Level Field.”

June frowned and took out her phone, tapping at it.  “Okay, so Rosario has Mal’s event negation.  Maks has Zip’s speed.  Who else got switched up?  Jack, back away from everyone else and get mad!”

“That’s a terrible idea, ma’am!” Jack called, but he retreated to where Roz was and took a deep breath.  Immediately he burst into blue-green motes of light.  He startled, causing them to flare up even higher.  “Looks like I’m the resident light show now,” he said shakily.  Roz grabbed his hand and he began to calm down, brilliance ebbing.  

“Okay, that’s three accounted for,” June noted.  “Zip, you’re up.”

Zip retreated to the same area as Roz and Jack, frowning as she walked at a normal pace.  “I don’t feel any differ’nt,” she hollered back.

June frowned, suddenly uneasy.  “I don’t like this,” she said.  “This is wrong, this isn’t… What’s going on?”  She grabbed Ernest’s hand, but didn’t feel any better.  She almost felt worse.  She squeezed harder.  Why did everyone think she had to be in charge?  What if she ruined everything, what if she--

“Juniper!”  Mal’s voice cut her off, bringing her back to herself.  “I believe I’ve identified the rest of the power switches.  Call back the rest of the team while I verify.”  With that, he turned to the dimming campfire and said nothing else.  Ernest rubbed reassuring circles on her back.

“Come back, guys and gals!” June called, weirdly relieved that Mal had took the reins.  Hang on.  She’d never been glad in her  _ life  _ that Mal had an idea.  What was going on?

Maks was the first one back, followed closely by Zip.  Apparently even without her superspeed the redhead didn’t like to dawdle.  Jack and Roz came back last--were they still holding hands?  Whatever, not June’s department for now.  She took a deep breath and expelled the last bit of whatever-that-was from her lungs, breathing in confidence that felt only a little shaky.

“Okay, Kinglet.  You said you’d figured out who has what?”

He nodded, then stood to address the group.  “As we previously determined, Zipporah has become Level Field, Maks took over her speed, Jack has gained the powers of Sideshow, and Rosario has gained mine.  While Zip was out of range, I saw that Ernest had become Riot--June and I both reacted to his emotional state.  I also noticed that June was gripping the tree trunk very hard, making her our new Champ.”  With a shock, June saw that he was right--her left hand was clenching Ernest’s, but her right hand held a handful of splinters.  “If it weren’t for the physical modifications that come with Ernest’s powers, she may have broken his hand.”  

June immediately released it, kissing Ernest on the cheek in apology.  He gave her a quick one armed hug in return--all was well.  “Which means that you--”

Mal smiled sardonically.  “I am now the Ringmaster.”  He gestured toward the bonfire, which now held an irately flaming wolverine.  

“Absolutely out of the question,” June stated.  “Give them back.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably have a chapter 2 sometime. It's definitely more likely if people tell me what should happen next because i have no clue


End file.
